Chapter 17: A Foul Mouth Earns a Beating

The sneer slowly faded from Liang Hong’s face, and his eyes darkened completely.

He had carried out more dangerous missions between city branches than he could count. He’d met arrogant people with connections and young men who relied on their families without knowing when to fear for their lives. But no one had ever pointed at his face and called him a cesspit come to life in front of more than twenty Bureau members.

“Good. Very good.”

He nodded slowly, the words forced through his teeth. “I really won’t go easy on you today. You want to see what I can do? Open your eyes and watch.”

He raised a hand and clenched all five fingers.

“If I don’t shake the booze out of that dog brain of yours and make you kowtow to me twice in front of your woman and classmates, I’ll write my name backward!”

The ground beneath Lin Ye split open.

Boom!

Soil and broken stones flew in every direction as a plant thick enough to take several people to encircle burst wildly from underground. Its roots and stems resembled intertwined pythons, covered in dark green scales and constantly writhing veins. In moments it grew more than ten meters tall.

“Young Master Lin!”

Startled by the sudden vines, Shen Qingyue reached for him, but a thick stem thrust between them.

Lin Ye remained where he was while several vines pushed her meters away. She stumbled backward and was caught just in time by Zhao Yue.

More and more branches closed in from every direction, forming a cage around Lin Ye.

Between the interwoven branches, buds the size of washbasins swelled rapidly.

When their petals opened, they revealed not stamens but concentric fleshy openings lined with sharp teeth. Dark purple fruits grew in their centers, their skins rapidly rotting and splitting.

Thick yellow-green juice oozed out, running along the branches toward the plant’s interior.

A pungent stench spread quickly.

Bureau members standing closer caught only a whiff before their throats burned and their vision darkened. They covered their mouths and noses and hurried back.

Zhao Yue’s expression changed sharply.

He hadn’t expected Liang Hong’s temper to be so violent that he’d actually attack Lin Ye before the joint investigation began. Still less had he expected him to hold nothing back, immediately using methods ordinarily reserved for aberrations.

“Liang Hong, stop!”

Zhao Yue stepped forward and shouted, “Deacon Gu personally ordered that no one is to attack Mr. Lin!”

“Don’t use Gu Qinglan to pressure me!”

Liang Hong stared coldly at the huge plant cage, his five fingers still clenched. “Your Skyvault people may be afraid of his father, but I’m not. He’s talking tough, isn’t he? Let’s see how long that lasts.”

“In another ten seconds, the bone-melting fluid inside will burn through his clothes and flesh. Once he gets on his knees and begs, I’ll let him out.”

Zhao Yue’s scalp went numb. “You’re asking to die!”

Liang Hong spat disdainfully. “If I weren’t showing your Skyvault branch some respect, he’d already be a skeleton. I’m just teaching him how to speak like a human being. He won’t die.”

Shen Qingyue stood beside Zhao Yue, also tense, though not for the reason the others expected.

She knew Lin Ye carried three A-rank contained artifacts.

She also knew that even acting independently, the Black Knight could display Sequence 5 strength. Frightening as the plant looked, it hardly seemed capable of trapping an A-rank contained artifact.

What truly worried her wasn’t whether Lin Ye would be hurt.

It was whether he would beat Liang Hong to death on the spot.

“Captain Zhao.” She caught his arm and warned him quietly, “You’d better persuade Deacon Liang to stop. If he waits any longer, Mr. Lin’s safety may no longer be the question.”

Zhao Yue understood her meaning, and his expression worsened.

“Liang Hong, this is your last warning. Withdraw your power immediately!”

“Will you shut the fuck up?”

Liang Hong turned sharply, his face full of impatience. “If something happens, I’ll take responsibility. Keep yapping beside me, and I’ll bury you in there with him!”

Zhao Yue was about to intervene by force when a tiny black flame appeared on Liang Hong’s shoulder.

At first it was only a spark the size of a grain of rice.

Liang Hong didn’t even notice it.

But one breath later, the spark raced along his collar, becoming dozens of black tongues of flame that spread over his shoulders and chest.

Someone nearby noticed first and cried out, “Deacon Liang, you’re on fire!”

“What?”

He looked down, his expression changing. He slapped at the flames on his chest, but the instant his palm touched them, it was as though some force pierced his entire arm.

“Aah!”

The piercing scream rang down the highway.

Liang Hong dropped to his knees, his forehead striking the gravel hard. Black flames spread rapidly over him, engulfing him from head to foot in moments.

His clothes didn’t immediately burn, and no severe burns appeared on his skin, yet his screams sounded more agonized than those of someone consumed by ordinary fire.

The flames passed through his body and burned his soul directly. At the same time, his anger, contempt, jealousy, and murderous intent seemed to become fresh fuel, making the black fire blaze ever higher.

He rolled wildly on the ground, tearing at his clothes. “What the fuck is this?!”

Several Bureau members rushed forward. One took out firefighting equipment; another tried to isolate the flames with an ability. But water mist, freezing temperatures, and barriers were applied in succession without affecting the black fire.

One person who touched Liang Hong was burned by flying sparks and staggered back, clutching an arm.

“Don’t touch him!” Gu Wantang warned coldly.

She stared at the black flames, then at the still-closed plant cage. For the first time, her expression visibly changed.

“What powerful fire!”

The flames came from Lin Ye.

No one had seen when he’d acted.

He was using the power of the A-rank contained artifact, the Black Knight.

He still didn’t know which pathway the knight had followed in life.

After all, every supernatural power in this world could be considered a pathway not yet fully developed. Most supernaturals simply couldn’t guess the true methods of advancement in their lifetimes.

Ninety-nine percent died along the way because they’d guessed the ritual, materials, or direction of their power’s evolution wrong.

The Black Knight’s original owner, however, had clearly gone relatively far.

Its black flames could burn body and soul and turn negative emotions into fuel.

If any being within Lin Ye’s range of perception felt sufficiently intense anger, hatred, fear, or murderous intent, he could use that emotion to ignite them directly.

Liang Hong’s fury had been like walking up to him carrying a bucket of oil.

As Liang Hong lost control of his power, the enormous plant surrounding Lin Ye rapidly withered.

Its dark green branches lost their sheen, then broke one after another like bones weathered for years. Flowers and fruits shriveled, and the corrosive juice that hadn’t yet flowed inward lost its potency and seeped into the soil.

Several dead vines fell aside.

Yawning, Lin Ye stepped over the broken branches and strolled out.

His clothes were still clean. Even his hair was undisturbed.

Looking down at Liang Hong screaming and rolling on the ground, he seemed disappointed. “You cursed for so long, I thought you’d come up with something impressive. All you did was grow a lousy weed and squeeze out a few drops of stinking water that might be past its expiration date.”

Liang Hong was in too much pain to answer, managing only broken snarls through clenched teeth.

The roadside went utterly silent.

Everyone was stunned.

Even Zhao Yue, who’d long known Lin Ye was extraordinary, couldn’t hide his shock.

This was the first time he’d actually seen Lin Ye use supernatural power.

Liang Hong, a man with a considerable reputation among the city branches, hadn’t even had a chance to resist before inextinguishable black flames brought him to his knees screaming.

The leaders from the other cities looked at Lin Ye differently too.

Their earlier contempt and displeasure quickly vanished, replaced by profound wariness.

Song Wenshan approached first, considerably more courteous than before. “Mr. Lin, Deacon Liang does have a temper and speaks harshly, but he didn’t truly intend to take your life. The joint investigation hasn’t begun. Continuing this will only weaken us.”

Fang Chi joined him. “We don’t know what’s inside White Stone Town. Liang Hong has extensive experience with large-scale plant anomalies. You’ve taught him enough of a lesson. Please withdraw the fire.”

Zhao Yue sounded even more urgent. “Mr. Lin, Liang Hong should indeed pay for what he said, but the mission comes first. If you really burn him to death, it will be difficult to explain matters between the cities.”

Lin Ye ignored them.

Hands in his pockets, he stood before Liang Hong and quietly enjoyed the sight of a man who had been so overbearing moments ago now rolling on the ground.

Shen Qingyue didn’t plead for Liang Hong either.

He’d shown no courtesy when insulting her and Lin Ye, and had spoken particularly crudely about their relationship. Though she didn’t want anyone to die, she thought he deserved a little longer under punishment.

Only when his screams weakened and his rolling slowed did Lin Ye lazily raise a hand.

“Come back.”

The black flames engulfing Liang Hong instantly left his body, gathered into a thin stream in midair, and flew toward Lin Ye’s arm, disappearing into the Black Knight tattoo.

Liang Hong lay curled on the ground, gasping once the fire was gone.

Cold sweat had soaked him. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was so pale it scarcely looked alive.

His body wasn’t badly burned, but the agony of his soul being scorched remained deep in his consciousness, making his limbs tremble uncontrollably.

Lin Ye looked at him and pursed his lips. “You shouted so fiercely, I thought you were impressive. Turns out you’re only Sequence 7.”

Liang Hong’s pupils contracted slightly.

Ignoring the terror in his eyes, Lin Ye continued, “If White Stone Town weren’t so large and I couldn’t be bothered to search it slowly alone, a man whose mouth is stronger than his abilities would already be a pile of ash.”

“I spared your life not because you’re important, but because you’re of some use. Once we’re inside, keep your mouth shut and do your job. Spray shit in front of me again and I’ll set you alight and hang you from the road sign.”

Without waiting for anyone’s reaction, he turned and strode toward White Stone Town.

“Qingyue, let’s go.”

“Coming, Young Master Lin.”

She finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurried after him, affectionately taking his arm again. Passing Liang Hong, she looked down at him without gloating, only a little resigned that he’d brought the suffering on himself.

Zhou Chengan remained where he was.

He stared blankly at the black tattoo fading on Lin Ye’s arm, his thoughts in turmoil.

He’d once believed Lin Ye had nothing over him except status and family background. Even Shen Qingyue’s choice, he’d thought, was only because Lin Ye was an Upper City young master.

What had just happened tore away his last comfort.

His expression changed several times before he clenched his teeth and hurried after the pair.

Liang Hong was still on his knees.

Two Bureau members from Beichuan rushed to help him up. One asked quietly, “Deacon Liang, should you rest first? You look terrible.”

He didn’t answer at once.

Watching Lin Ye’s retreating back, he no longer showed anger, only deep fear and bewilderment.

What had that black fire been?

Sequence 6?

No. An ordinary Sequence 6 couldn’t have denied him even a chance to resist.

Was it Sequence 5, or even higher?

But how old was Lin Ye?

Liang Hong’s throat was dry, and even swallowing hurt. After a long silence, he spoke in a voice so hoarse it was barely recognizable. “No need to rest.”

He took two sealed medicine bottles from inside his clothes. With trembling fingers, he pulled the stoppers and drank both in succession.

Pushing away the teammates supporting him, he looked down at his still-trembling hands and gave a bitter smile.

“I misjudged him.”

Remembering what he’d said, he felt his face burn.

“A foul mouth earned me a beating. I deserved it.”

He drew a deep breath, suppressed the pain lingering deep in his body, and staggered after Lin Ye.

The other leaders exchanged looks.

Each saw shock in the others’ eyes.

After a brief silence, they all put away their earlier contempt and followed with their teams.